Funding to Strengthen Minnesota’s Rural CHW Workforce
Rural CHW Workforce Development Initiative
5-Year Roadmap (2026 – 2030)
The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) grant focuses on promoting innovation, strategic partnerships, infrastructure development, and workforce investment in rural communities. As an RHTP grantee, the Minnesota Community Health Worker Alliance (MNCHWA), will implement its 5-year strategic roadmap focused on the design of a sustainable CHW workforce pathways model tailored to the needs of rural healthcare employers, learners, and communities.
Year 1
Planning, Discovery, and Program Design
Focus: Lay the foundational infrastructure, conducting community engagement, and designing an implementation-ready workforce model.
Key Activities:
- Host listening sessions and regional discovery convenings
- Synthesize insights to identify key stakeholder priorities
Year 2
Initial Launch & Implementation of Pilot Program
Focus: Implement and pilot an ‘Earn and Train’ CHW Pathway in targeted rural regions of Minnesota.
Key Activities:
- Recruit and enroll the first cohort of rural CHW trainees and CHW employers.
- Provide technical assistance and implementation support to rural administrative employers.
Year 3
Regional Scaling, System Integration & Sustainability
Focus: Scale program reach across additional rural regions and embed long-term sustainability practices.
Key Activities:
- Expand site adoption to additional rural healthcare providers, local public health agencies, community based organizations and Tribal health organizations.
- Conduct ongoing program evaluation and continuous quality improvement (CQI)
Steven’s Amendment
The Rural Health Transformation Program Activities are supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $193,090,618.14 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.